Loren's Essay

OVERVIEW ON COMPUTER AIDED LEARNING (CAL) UNDER SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was launched with the objective to achieve Universalization of Elementary Education and fulfill the constitutional mandate of providing free and compulsory education for life to the children of age group 6-14 years. The reduction in drop out and repetition rate, enhancement in the achievement levels and making learning joyful are some of the objectives of SSA. It was felt that use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and computers in the form of Computer Aided Learning (CAL) may help in achieving the said objectives. Keeping this in view, a component of computer education was kept under the Functional Head of ‘Innovation’ in the framework of SSA. Under this component there is a provision of Rs.50 lakh per district per year available to the States for CAL. 2. Department of School Education & Literacy, with the objective to strengthen the CAL programme, constituted a Committee for formulation of Guidelines for Computer (IT) Education under SSA at elementary stage. The Committee, in its report has deliberated on the national and international status of CAL at elementary and primary level, suggested interventions for CAL under SSA, provides estimates of population which needs to be covered under the programme, the level of infrastructure and hardware needed, analysis of available resources, possibility of mobilization of additional resources and strategies for implementation of the programme. 3. The main interventions required for introduction of CAL and making use of ICT in Elementary Education, as suggested by the Committee are training of the teachers, creation of infrastructure, development and production of State specific e-teaching/ learning material in local language and sensitization of the State-level statutory bodies like Board of Education and SCERT. The first & most important tier is for training of teachers and necessary sensitization of States...